Staying Relevant in an AI World- How to Upskill your Marketing Chops
(The image is created by DALL.E)
As a Marketer in the fast-evolving landscape of Generative AI, staying abreast of the latest trends and technologies is paramount. My journey of integrating AI into my human database has been both challenging and rewarding. Here, I share insights and experiences on how I approached the process of learning AI and applying it effectively in marketing.
Note- Specifically, getting comfortable with “Generative AI” was my ultimate goal but I tried to avoid shortcuts and followed a holistic approach to understanding AI basic first (What is large language model, transformer, neural network, parameters, etc. - this stuff is central to understanding Gen AI). It’s like piecing together a complex puzzle where each term and concept fits into a larger picture. Fun trivia- The 'GPT' in ChatGPT isn’t just a fancy acronym; it stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer…
Idea/Concept first, Marketing second
In a lot of scenarios , Marketing is a means to an end, end point being meeting the business outcomes. Its critical to understand the idea and then wear the marketing hat. Some of the most successful marketers are astute ideation minds that also have fantastic marketing chops.. AI has broad ranging applicability besides marketing so getting the big picture is important..
Coming back to AI, I started with the basics of machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics. Online platforms like Coursera and Khan Academy offer courses that won’t make your head spin. This process was enlightening, as it demystified the nuances of AI and made it sound less intimidating. The below 2 AI thought leaders are my all-time favorites. Watch videos if the long form content is too much. All of them are super engaging
Andrew Ng is one of the most influential ML scholars, computer scientist and technology entrepreneur focusing on machine learning and AI. He is Founder & CEO of DeepLearning.AI, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s Computer Science Department. I took a couple of his Coursera courses starting with this one: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ai-for-everyoneThere are more courses depending on how deep you want to explore but the above was helpful with orientation.
Demis Hassabis is the CEO and Co-Founder, Google DeepMind, world’s leading AI research company, with the mission of solving “the problem of intelligence” He’s a Neuroscientist, pioneering artificial intelligence researcher, and successful entrepreneur. Watch this fascinating podcast on how he thinks and some of the aspirational concepts around AGI, consciousness etc.
Gen AI -Learning by doing - Hands-on experience
Now, with AI concepts down, I was ready to drive into the world of Gen AI. Reading on technical concepts was difficult to understand so watching videos was the path I chose. I suggest watching this one. Mirella Lapata breaks down complex ideas around LLM like noone else.
I wanted to get comfortable with the poster child of Gen-AI, ChatGPT. I took this course: https://www.udemy.com/course/ultimate-chatgpt-course-for-beginners
Starting with simple queries, I began exploring free version of ChatGPT, asking it to generate content ideas, draft marketing copy, and even provide insights on market trends. The more I interacted with ChatGPT, the more I realized the potential of AI to transform and enhance marketing efforts. I upgrade to premium occasionally to see whats new on a monthly basis. The user-friendly interface and intuitive nature of ChatGPT made it easier for me to understand how AI can process natural language, generate creative outputs, and offer data-driven insights. Gradually, my anxiety around learning AI was getting replaced with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Incorporate Continuous learning /Weekly tune-ups (Ritualize)
AI is characterized by rapid evolution. What's groundbreaking today will become obsolete tomorrow, and it’s all happening at breakneck speed. Actually, in the last few months, I have see some technologies go from the hot new thing to being stale. I have subscribed to a handful of writers on Medium, MIT publication, and a couple of podcasts (listed below) to demystify the latest in AI and the related ecosystem. Important: I have penciled time in the calendar. I save articles and topics I find interesting all week, then I set aside time on the weekend to go through them.
Here are the AI Centric podcasts I enjoy
Podcast - Hard fork (NY times). Weekly every Friday. Easier to follow and breaks things down
Podcast - Eye on A.I. is a biweekly podcast, hosted by longtime New York Times, Craig Smith
Publication- Ben’s bites - One of the highest quality content on AI. Newsletter / case studies etc. https://bensbites.beehiiv.com/
Experiment with different AI Copilots
AI copilot is an AI assistant that can help users complete routine tasks faster. AI copilots use large language models (LLMs) to have human-like conversations with users. I've had the chance to work with Gemini and Microsoft, besides ChatGPT 4. These tools are incredible! They chat almost like a human, helping me come up with new writing ideas, explore different topics, and stay on top of the latest trends in any field I'm curious about. While they're already great at understanding and generating text, I've also noticed that their ability to create images is getting impressively better. It's fascinating to see how these AI copilots are evolving and making a real difference in how I work and think creatively. The image I used in this’s article thumbnail was created by DALL.E..
5. Now - I was ready to surf AI Marketing waves- Focused on a few forward-looking Marketing Publications
With all the above steps, the Marketing-centric AI content started to make sense because I could connect the dots. This stuff can get overwhelming fast; I have found that focusing on 3-5 outlets is sufficient and doesn’t not create a ton of cognitive overload. My go-to sources - theDrum.com, marketingprofs.com, hubspot marketing blog, and neilpatel.com
As I reflect on my journey of AI learning, the path was not linear and often times frustrating an painful, but its been super rewarding, confidence building, and honed my growth mindset even further. Hope you enjoy the joy of discovery…
My best,
Yogesh